With the advent of spring, you know that allergy season isn’t far away. Many people suffer from seasonal allergies, and your HVAC can play a role in alleviating them. When trees, plants, and flowers bring more pollen and allergens into the air, your HVAC can help protect you. Here is how your HVAC can help with spring allergies.
Air Pollution From Outside
HVAC systems are essential for protecting indoor air quality (IAQ). The quality of your indoor air can affect your health and comfort. As outdoor pollutants make their way into your home, your HVAC can help protect your health and prevent allergic reactions.
As the weather warms, you probably open your windows to allow fresh air inside. While fresh air is undeniably good, it can also bring in particulates that can impact health and trigger allergies. The breeze can bring in carbon dioxide from automobile exhaust. Pollen counts rise, and this time of year also has an increased use of pesticides and fertilizers.
Common health effects from these outdoor pollutants include eye and nose irritation, headaches, and fatigue. Those with allergies and asthma can react even more strongly to outdoor pollutants and experience severe nasal congestion and coughing. More serious health risks can develop, too, including respiratory infections and illness.
Through its filtration system, your HVAC can help reduce the levels of outdoor pollutants coming into your home. Air filters in your AC system can capture these harmful particulates and help protect household members.
Indoor Pollutants Inside Your Home
Many household products and your home itself can negatively impact IAQ. Hazardous indoor pollutants include asbestos. Although not as common today, asbestos can still be found in older homes and commercial buildings, especially in roofs and flooring. The chemicals in asbestos are now on a priority list of known contaminants that are harmful to your health. Asbestos exposure can trigger health and allergic reactions. Making sure your home is free of asbestos and having a quality HVAC to reduce exposure to them is essential to IAQ.
Some household products contain chemicals called volatile organic compounds (VOCs) that impact IAQ and are harmful to your health. VOCs can be found in cleaning supplies for rugs and upholsteries, chlorine bleach, and aerosol sprays. When VOCs get circulated in the air, they can cause breathing difficulties, nasal problems, and headaches. Many homeowners do spring cleaning and may unknowingly spread these chemicals in the house, lowering their IAQ.
The Environmental Protection Agency recommends avoiding products that contain VOCs. You can find products that use natural ingredients with low or no VOCs. If you have to use these chemicals, do so in a well-ventilated area and store them outside if possible.
Dust mites and mold are other common indoor pollutants that trigger allergic reactions. Dust and dust mites are unavoidable but can be a significant health concern for those with allergies. Efficient and well-maintained HVAC systems can reduce the level of dust and other allergens circulating in your home. Mold within homes and HVAC units also creates issues for allergy sufferers. Yet, when properly maintained, HVAC systems can help reduce this pollutant, too.
HVAC Systems and Clean Indoor Air
Beyond heating and cooling your home, HVAC systems can help provide clean indoor air and better IAQ. Regularly scheduled maintenance will allow your HVAC to reduce or eliminate allergy-producing indoor pollutants.
Mold can build up in HVAC units in such areas as evaporator coils and drain pans. An evaporator coil is a central part of AC units that draws out indoor heat and moisture. If dust accumulates on the coil, it can combine with condensation and produce mold. Likewise, a neglected drain pan can produce mold from moisture buildup. If left in place, mold can increase and circulate in your home through the air vents. If you are allergic to mold, when you breathe in this air pollutant, you can experience symptoms like coughing and wheezing.
With an HVAC maintenance visit, a trained technician can clean out the mold from these parts. Other spring allergies, like pollen and dust, can also be reduced with proper maintenance. Regular maintenance allows a service professional to check and clean excessive dust and pollen buildup inside your indoor unit for better IAQ.
Improve Your Indoor Air Quality
The first step toward healthier indoor air is to have our HVAC service technicians perform an indoor air quality test. IAQ tests check the air for the presence of mold, smoke, and pet odors, along with other indoor allergens and pollutants. These tests can be a vital source of information for people with allergies and asthma. IAQ testing can help you determine if adding an air purifier or a different type of air treatment system to your existing HVAC system is a good option for your household.
Working alongside your HVAC, air purifier systems filter out more allergens and contaminants that can affect members of your household. These systems provide an extra measure of protection for your home. Having a whole home air purifying system installed can substantially reduce the levels of contaminants and allergens in a home. Pet owners tend to see noticeable improvements in air quality by adding air purifiers, and they will work to reduce mold and dust further to aid allergy sufferers.
Installing UV lights in your HVAC can also help reduce exposure to these contaminants. UV light purifiers can destroy unseen chemicals that circulate indoors. They can also help reduce or eliminate bacteria and viruses in the air.
HVAC Fans and Filters
You can also run your HVAC fan or blower to help circulate cleaner indoor air. The indoor fan of your HVAC unit can be used even when you do not turn on the cooling or heating modes. By switching the unit fan on, you can refresh the air in your home, which promotes a more pleasant indoor environment.
Checking and replacing HVAC air filters frequently is another way to help alleviate spring allergies. Your filters accumulate dust, debris, and particles. However, their effectiveness degrades if they are clogged. A clean air filter traps airborne particulates and is central to bringing relief to allergy sufferers. Filters usually need to be replaced about every three months. If you have pets, live in a dusty area, or have people in the home with sensitivities, checking them every six to 8 weeks is recommended. Making sure your air filters are clean is another benefit of regular HVAC maintenance because a technician can determine if they are dirty and need to be replaced.
Dependable HVAC Services
If you’re ready to improve the quality of the air inside your home, give us a call. In addition to air purification systems, we offer ductwork services, including duct sealing. We also provide heating and cooling installation, maintenance, and repair to Sioux City, IA, Vermillion, Yankton, SD, and the surrounding areas. For over 100 years, we have provided dependable repairs, installation, and maintenance. Please contact us at Kalins Indoor Comfort for more information about how an HVAC impacts spring allergies and our indoor air quality solutions.
